Friday, 18 November 2016

Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) commander General Constantino
Chiwenga has moved in to calm the nerves of soldiers ahead of the introduction
of bond notes amid rising social unrest over the current cash shortages.

For the past two weeks, Chiwenga has been on a
cross-country commander’s visit to all cantonment areas where he spoke at
length on issues, including the history of Zimbabwe, welfare of troops and the
payment of allowances and annual bonuses.

Sources said the army chief, making his first visit to all
army camps since 2009, was concerned that soldiers could go on a rampage
following the introduction of bond notes if it affects their welfare issues.

In 2008, a group of soldiers ran amok in Harare, protesting
over salaries and the worthless Zimbabwe dollar which was ditched a year later
due to hyperinflation.

Zimbabwe is in the grip of a serious cash crunch, which has
worsened gradually since December last year due to dwindling exports and
weakening regional currencies.

Military sources told the Zimbabwe Independent this week
that the army chief is aware of the potential problems that could be caused by
the bond notes within the defence forces as well as over the remuneration of
generals — who enjoy better perks — and junior servicemen.

“The salary discrepancy between a lowly ranked soldier
(private) and a senior officer like a major who commands 120 men is less than
US$50, while an immediate boss to the major who is a lieutenant-colonel earns
three times as much.

What also causes problems is the worsening economic
situation as well as the conditions in the barracks where government is
struggling to meet dietary requirements,” a source said.

“More so, most generals and liberation war veterans who
hold senior positions now constitute a quarter of the force, while those who
joined after 1984 when the first recruitment was made are in the majority. The
majority feel that their welfare issues should be attended to, while the old
guard might not relate to that. This is something any general would want
government to address.”

Sources said Chiwenga, during his address to the soldiers,
took a dig at former vice-president JoiceMujuru for challenging the legality of
the bond notes. He said troops should not speculate over the monetary
intervention that has already triggered a public outcry.

Chiwenga’s visit coincided with a public awareness campaign
on the introduction of bond notes being carried out by the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe.

In September, the Constitutional Court threw out Mujuru’s
case with costs, dismissing it as premature and speculative. To avert a looming
crisis, Mugabe on Monday invoked his Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures),
gazetting Statutory Instrument 133 of 2016, giving effect to the introduction
of bond notes.

(The bond notes are coming. We should accept them. Let’s
not speculate on them like what Joice Mujuru did. Have you ever hunted rabbits
in the middle of a tarred road?)” Chiwenga, speaking in Shona, told soldiers in
one of the meetings. zimbabwe independent